Salted icing on the cake

The party on Saturday was fantastic! I was a little bit afraid it would be boring since we didn't know anyone else but the groom.
We were about 20 guests and it was a perfect mix of nationalities. Most Japanese guests since the bride is from Japan, but one was married to an Irish girl and another had a Kashmirian boyfriend, who used to steal cakes as a kid.
The cake was a huge success. Especially since the icing was salty instead of sweet. I haven't laughed that much in years.

The bride Akimi was so sweet when she put on my handmade earrings I made for her as a wedding gift. She works at a farm where women are making sanitary pads from fabrics and I will go with her next week to learn more about the project.

Class 2

Yesterday Leya's principal called and asked if it was OK if Leya skipped a class and started class 2 instead and of course it was fine with us.
I'm so proud to have a daughter who is beautiful AND smart. Thank you God!

Post-wedding parties

Tonight we are going to a surprise wedding party. Our cashmere supplier, one of Nepal's best bodybuilders, has married his Japanese girlfriend in Japan and apparently all papers are in order here in Nepal too. So her friends have planned a surprise party at a restaurant in the nearby city Patan.

And today we got invited to a post-wedding-party tomorrow at the areas temple.
According to Nicholas (who is terrible at gossiping), our friend Akash got married to his girlfriend without her parents approval, so they never attended the wedding.
I will know more after the party, but if it's true I would like to ask her parents:
Akash may come from a lower caste, but he is a terrific, happy (that shows clearly in the photo), person, who works hard and lives with his family in a big house. What is more important to you? Your gods and the society's happiness or your daughter's?

Google translate

After gaining immense crazy and out fun lying letters on the computer that out dying folks lack to extend a mass of money, translated by Google from English to Swedish, I took off thinking that haply it would tickle even your second. So I'm rubbing along and translate one of my Swedish scripts using Google.
I fathom that you who are native English load speakers are not relived to this inflate phenomenon.
If you are staked in reading my script so get in affect (touch). It is with suchlike hilarious lyrics that somehow I do not perceive what it is from time to time.

Lily's grave

Mom Sweetie was so sweet to let us bury the little body in her 1x4 meter small garden.
Since the family belongs to a caste where they cremate their dead I wasn't sure she would understand how important it was to me to bury her and not throw her in the creek like waste.
So now we have a grave to take care of.

Little Lily

I'm crying, crying, crying! I've nursed the puppy Lily for two days and this morning we had the vet put her to sleep.
Her spinal cord was damaged so there was nothing we could do.
Lily was so sweet and loving! I've asked our late dogs to meet her in the light and take care of her.
I'm just happy I could give her lots of love in the end of her short life here on earth.
God bless little Lily!

Puppy Lily

Yesterday I found out that one of the street puppies was run over and killed, but later I found her alive and badly injured in another street.
I took her to our house and called the vet. Now she is recovering in our home and at night she is staying in our bed.
For four hours she was fighting for her life and no one cared. I feel ashamed of my fellow humans!
I know Lily is just a street dog, but to me she is worth as much as anyone in my family.

Going to Delhi

Actually I'm going to Delhi today.
Last time I was there I shopped trims for a Swedish customer and since the order was big, for us anyway, we wanted to make the payment via bank.
But. When I was there they totally forgot to tell me that they didn't have an export license and are therefor not allowed to receive money from abroad.
There are alternatives how to transport money over the border between Nepal and India, but we realized we are saving money if I go myself instead.
And I can check the order a last time, which is good.
And I can do a tiny bit of shopping, so I don't mind going again.

Dentist in Nepal

I can highly recommend a visit to the dentist if you are coming to Nepal.
Our dentist is well educated, professional and an expert in preforming root canals and put in new teeth with titanium screws.
Leya and I had a simple check up and we paid 1 USD for both of us. A few months ago I had to pull out a tooth and it cost me 6 USD including the shot and a receipt for anti inflammatory medicine. Then the medicine was 2 USD.
So let me know if you are coming to Nepal and want to visit the dentist.

Chicken in the house

The crazy rooster seem to be living closer than I thought.
Yesterday we noticed that there were chickens at the neighbors balcony. Apparently Mom Sweetie brought live chickens from her village in Gorkha on the micro bus.
Her daughter Chanda delivered a baby girl a few weeks ago and traditions say that she needs to eat just-in-house killed chicken for energy.
Here are the chickens.

I think it's the crazy crower on this plate, because now it's back to heavenly silence.

A crazy rooster

A nearby neighbor has bought a rooster and he crows, very loud, at any time during the day.
I hope they will eat him soon!

No swimming

The other day Nicholas and Leya went to the local swimming pool to cool off, but Nicholas didn't pass the bath-pants-control.
He had perfectly fine swimming shorts, but they were not made of "silk" like the speedos they offered him to borrow.
I understand he got furious. Who wants to put on underwear strangers have used?
Since they want to go there again I suppose he has to buy a pair of tight speedos in "silk" á la the 70's.
He will do it for Leya, but he will not be entirely happy.
That's for sure!

Cricket

A few days ago Nicholas admitted that he enjoyed watching cricket. He even said it was more fun than watching football and that was a huge thing for him to admit.
To be kind I joined him to watch cricket and I just happened to love it. Before I knew it I understood the rules and cheered like crazy.
So now I'm watching the IPL T20 tournament in India and my favorite team is Chennai Super Kings.
Dhoni is the king of the kings!

Sun and lots of rain

Lucky Leya who got to take a swim in the pool before the rain, thunder and lightning began.

A cup of tea by the Fewa lake in Pokhara is a treat even on a cloudy day.

Pokhara

Yesterday I came home after a few hectic and fun days in Delhi.
Tomorrow we are going to Pokhara for a few days. We really need a few days holiday together.

Delhi

Reached Delhi last night and today I've been to Kenari bazar taking lots and lots of photos, 466 exactly, of trims, feathers, crochet. You name it!
It is so hot here I could walk around with an IV and still get dehydrated.
I love India, but I'm glad we live in Nepal. The climate is so much better.

New baby

Yesterday Chanda didi, sister, gave birth to yet another baby girl in the family.
Girlpower!

Tom the Crane

Click here to see a short film from my parents home.
Forward to 13.22 and you can see my parents house and the crane Tom who comes every year to visit on the terrace.

Delhi

On Wednesday I'm going to Delhi for a few days to do some business.
I'm really looking forward to go back to our old neighborhood and meet old friends.
This photo is taken on Main Bazar road.

Holiday

Yesterday Leya's school semester ended and the girls celebrated with an ice cream, like they do every day.
Leya and Eva has been going to different schools the last seven months, but now Eva is going to shift to Leya's school and they are both so happy about it.

Today we celebrated summer by inflating the pool and fill it with water.
Sweethearts!

Easter party

Yesterday we celebrated Easter with family and friends.
We had a fantastic day!
Click here for more photos.

Happy Easter!

I wish you all a pleasant evening together with family and friends.
Tomorrow we'll have a party here on our terrace with painting on eggs, sausages and fishing in fish pond.
A photo of Leya from last year's Easter celebrations.

The International Women Conference

Leya and I went to the conference in the afternoon.
See photos here.
Then I interviewed the woman from Afghanistan who fights for women's rights with danger for her life.
She revealed things about US you will never read about in any newspaper.
When the article is finished I'll let you know.

Holi Festival of Colors

Today we celebrated Holi here in Nepal. By we I don't mean all of us. I hid indoors all day while it was a water war among the houses, including our house.
I think you either have to be young or drunk to appreciate this.

International women conference

Today I went to the first day of the international women conference organized by the Swedish left wing political party, Vänsterns Internationella Forum and the local organization All Nepal Women Association.
Click for more photos here.

Indian baby Zoya

This is Zoya Eshwar, our Indian friends Stalin and Geetha's beautiful grand daughter.
She is sooo cute!!!

Swedish visitors

Last week we had four Swedish friends visiting us.
Åsa and Fidde are working with charity in India and they came to Nepal for the first time and they just LOVED it.
One of the projects they work with is Sahara.
Read more here.

Marianne visited us for the third year in a row and she also loves Nepal. She visited Nepal the last time 30 years ago and Kathmandu has developed from a medieval city to a quite modern one.

A friend to Åsa and Fidde, Anna a tourist guide living in Goa came to renew her visa and Friday evening we had a party on our terrace since it was the last night before they went back to Delhi.

Leya eating masala and smacking Nepalese style

Click on the headline.

School picnic

Today Leya went on her first school picnic and she was double happy.
First she was happy for the trip and second her first tooth fell out when she brushed her teeth this morning. So now we hope the tooth fairy finds her way here.
A Cinderella dress is a must for a school picnic.

Business visa

Yesterday we finally got our business visa.
After 3 years of struggling with short term tourist visas this is just fantastic and we are so happy.

NepalSisters

I've posted some videos of Leya and Eva at YouTube as NepalSisters and the Nepalese people are amazed that Leya speaks such a perfect Nepali.
Alina, a 23 year old women has adopted Leya and all of us as her family and she is a sweet girl studying and working with media.
She wants to make a series of episodes with NepalSisters.
Click here for the first episode.

My latest project

Click here.

Chilli

I can't believe it, but suddenly I enjoy eating spicy food.
During my childhood mom only used salt and pepper in the food, so taking the step to actually liking spicy food is like landing on the sun for me.
Amazing that the body can change that much.

Strike season

A friend of ours with black humor says it's strike season and we can only agree.
One day the kids are free from school and the next they are going. Soon the strikes will be mixed with festivals, like the International Women's day on Friday and the big Shiva festival on Sunday.
Lucky we are not as Swedish as the Nepalese Parent-school organization that demands school fee back for the days the kids can't go to school.
I just say. "Relax! There is always a new strike coming up."

Alina

Leya has got a new big sister.
Her name is Alina and she is 20.
Watch her sing here.
So cute!

Strike

Today it's strike and we are happy we don't have a schedule job we have to go to.
Strikes are rarely planned and most of the time we have no idea why they are striking.
So the kids got one more free day this week. No point in going "Swedish" about it since they go to school six days a week and that is frankly one day more than necessary.

Nani

Our sweet Nani was so sick yesterday that we thought she was going to die.
We thought she had got puppy disease. That is very serious with a 50/50 chance of survival.
I was so angry with myself for not taking her to the vet for vaccination. I was going to, but something came up.
The vet came last night to our house and according to him the temp was very high. He said that she didn't have the puppy disease, but was frightened and in a fever shock from a dog fight, I remembered from the day before. Apparently it's possible for animals to be so frightened that they get really sick.
Yesterday he gave her a shot to lower the fever and today he came back to give her a shot full of vitamins.
He vaccinated Angel and Kalee and as soon as Nani is well enough she will be vaccinated too.
Thanks Brahma for letting our baby stay with us!

My Stand Up

Now I'm really angry!
How can you call Nepal a democracy when the police rounds up 711 youths because they have a different hairstyle or an earring? This is a serious invasion on the personal integrity and is not preventing robberies or hooliganism.
By forcing them to cut their hair just add to the alienation to Nepal already felt by many young people in Nepal.
Having long hair has nothing to do with being a criminal. The government should sweep in front of their own door before taking this awful, in my point of view, criminal action.
I support you guys! Keep your hair growing!
Read more here.

Pancakes

Today I made pancakes and it's just as fun as watching paint dry, but I turned around from our outdoor kitchen and watched the sunset hitting the snow covered Himalaya mountains so the snow glowed like gold.
At once the life felt much better.
I've borrowed this picture, but a cute couple like this you could meet anywhere here in Nepal.

A white rat

Friends of ours have a white rat and it's strange to see a rat being treated like a family member in this part of the world.
We are used to kill rats in Delhi, but this one was really cute.
I had no idea that holding a rat could make Leya this happy.

Dear mom

Today it's my dear mom's 65:th birthday and this is the normal year to retire in Sweden, but she retired last year already.
I wish we could email us to her just for the day.

Spring cleaning

Today we did the annual spring cleaning and it's great when it's finished.
Spring cleaning is not my favorite occupation, so I'm glad it's only spring once a year.

Party at the temple

There is some kind of party going on at our neighbor temple and they are singing so loud it's almost unbearable to be home.
They've been singing for a couple of days now. I hope it's over soon!

My book is finished!

I've finally finished writing my book about our life in India.
It's crazy and funny and I've sent the manuscript to a few publishers, so fingers crossed my friends all over the world, that someone will publish it!

Doves

Behind our flat, on a roof sticking out under our windows there are doves sleeping during the night.
It's very cozy listening to their sounds when going to sleep.
Here they have some kind of meeting. Maybe they are discussing next weeks child care schedule.

Fresh air

We are so lucky to live here in Nepal, because we are outside breathing fresh air all day.
When living in Sweden you live your life mostly indoors because of the cold weather.

Mina

Today we went to Mina and her factory.
She started her business with 40 000 rs and a small shop 20 years ago and today she runs a large factory and has built a beautiful house to her family.

She has a huge stock and is willing to sell it of to a good price.
This is one of her eight dogs, Bono.

The Goddess Saraswati

Today we celebrated the Hindu Goddess Saraswati at Leya's school.
Saraswati stands for knowledge, music, art and science.
See photos here.

Support Tibet!

Yesterday a Tibetan monk set himself on fire at the Buddhist stupa Boudha nath in Kathamdnu in protest of the Chinese occupation.
He died yesterday evening.
Read more here.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Today we celebrated Valentine's day with a yummy dinner.


Tandoori chicken, garlic naan bread and pasta bolognaise.

I'm back!

Long time, but now I'm back!
This week we celebrate the Chinese New Year and Losar, the Tibetan New Year.
I went with Leya and Eva to Boudhanath, a world in heritage visited by many Buddhist pilgrims, to celebrate Losar.

Christmas

We had a wonderful Christmas here in Nepal with our family and friends.
Click here for more photos.

Kantha bedspreads

We are selling beautiful Kantha bedspreads, both single and double.
Kantha means long, handmade stitches.
It's ok to buy single piece. The bedspread will be drop shipped to you directly from India.
Click here for more photos.

Christmas tree

Today we decorated our first Nepalese Christmas tree.
See more photos here.

Fritz unt Axel

My dear friend Alex in knitted garments from Nepal.
Click here to buy from Alex' and Frida's collection.